Clamp.



P ATENTED SEPTA, 1906. G. H. ANDERSON.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE22,1 904.

1n: NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

GERARD H. ANDERSON, OF MOULTRIE, FLORIDA.

CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed June 22,1904. Serial No. 213,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERARD H. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moultrie, in the county of St. John and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of that class employed for clamping and holding material being operated upon by workmen, more particularly articles of wood of various shape, such as tool-handles, wheel-spokes, and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a clamp of simple construction and one which may be opened with ease and rapidity for the admittance of the article to be clampedu A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which provision is made for adjusting the clamping effect or clamping force by altering the position of the article with respect to the fulcrum-points of the clamping members, and, further, to provide a clamp wherein articles may be held at a right angle or at any other angle with respect to the clamping members in accordance with the shape of the article and the character of the work to be accomplished.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which provision is made for holding the movable clamping member firmly from lateral n1ovement with respect to the stationary clamping members, so that any force applied longitudinally to the article being held in the device will be effectually resisted and dis placement of the parts prevented.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad vantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a clamp constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the link connecting the operating-lever and movable clamping member.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs.

The improved clamp includes a pair of spaced vertical standards 10 and 11, having enlarged base portions 12 13 to permit their convenient attachment to a supporting-base 14. These standards are connected at a point near their upper ends by a pair of spaced parallel bars 15 and 16, disposed in a horizontal plane and forming the lower or stationary clamping member of the device. The two standards 10 and 11 are comparatively wide, and one is provided with a vertically-disposed transverse guideway 17 and the other standard provided with a socket 18. Pivoted in the socket 18 by a bolt 20 is a movable clamp member 19 and extending through the guideway 17 and movable vertically therein. The standard 11 is provided with a plurality of apertures for the pivotpin 20, so that the clamp member 19 may be adjusted vertically to adapt the device for holding articles of different sizes. A weight 22 is suspended from the free end of the clamp member 19 by a rod 21.

The bar 16 of the lower clamping member supports a bracket 23, having a bifurcated upper end for the reception of an operatinglever 24, the two being connected by a pivotpin 25. The shorter end of the lever rests over the upper clamping member and is connected thereto by a suitable link 26, while the opposite end of said lever is arranged within convenient reach of the workman, who by depressing the outer end of the lever may raise the weight and the upper clamping member and release an article from the clamp or open the clamp for the insertion of another article. It will be noted that the two clamping members form jaws of considerable length, the whole of the jaws between the two standards being effective for clamping purposes, and this is found of considerable advantage in the clamping of articles of different character. If the article being operated upon is formed of metal or hard wood or if the work is such as to require extensive strain, the clamping members are opened wide and the article is placed at a point near the fulcrum bolt or pin 20, so that the leverage force of the upper member will exert greater clamping action than if the IIO ' the weight 22, a single weight of given size thus giving clamping effects of different degree.

further advantage found in connection with a structure of this kind is that the article may be shifted to any position along the length of the lower clamping member and adjusted and clamped at a right angle to said clamping member or at any other angle thereto, there being no necessity of confining the article at one given point on the lower clamping member.

Devices of the character herein described are generally employed for holding articles upon which a drawing-knife, spoke-shave, and similar implements or tools are emloyed, the strains being applied longitudinally of the article and in both directions and transversely of the clamping members, and this lateral strain requires that the article be held from end movement very rigidly to enable the workman to produce the best results. This requisite rigidity of the article being held is secured by retaining the movable member 19 in the guideway 17 and socket 18, which enable the clamping member to move vertically to the required extent, but which effectually resists any lateral movement. By this means it is obvious that a material increase 1n the gripping powe1 of the member 19 is secured without increase in the weight 22, or the same gripping power may be secured with a smaller'weight.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is In a device of the class described, vertical standards spaced apart with a longitudinally-extending guideway in one of said standards and a socket in the other standard, stationary clamp members spaced apart and connecting said spaced standards at opposite sides of said socket and guideway, one of said clamp members extending beyond the standard having the guideway and with a bracket extending upwardly therefrom, a clamping member pivoted at one end in said socket and extending through said guideway and movable vertically therein above the space between the stationary clamp members, a weight suspended from the free end of said movable clamp member, a lever pivoted ,atrone end in said bracket, and a link connecting said lever and movable clamp member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GERARD H. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

R. J. GRUVER, DEI B. ANDERSON. 

